A Cumbrian MP has called for parish and town councils to continue to meet virtually when needed.
Neil Hudson, Penrith and the Border MP, was speaking in Parliament in questions to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.
In May 2020, regulations allowed for parish councils to sit virtually but changed in May 2021 when the High Court ruled that the public must again be allowed to attend in-person meetings.
Dr Hudson said he has long been campaigning for a reinstatement of these regulations on behalf of parish councils across Penrith and The Border and took the opportunity to question the Secretary of State Michael Gove on the matter.
He asked: “Volunteers who serve on our parish councils do an amazing job.
“In rural communities such as mine, there are significant challenges to attending meetings, such as transport, adverse weather, work and caring responsibilities. In the pandemic, we have seen that the virtual or hybrid format works well.
“Moving forward, will the Secretary of State look to allow parish councils to sit in virtual or hybrid format to increase and widen access and to help them work to the best of their ability?”
Mr Gove said: “If during the pandemic we had not allowed councils to meet virtually, not only would we have impaired the effective working of local government, but we would never have known about Jackie Weaver and the country would have been the poorer for it.
“I commend the work of parish councils and others. I am strongly in sympathy with the view that hybrid meetings should continue in order to ensure the maximum amount of efficiency.
“There is a case for saying that certain significant local authority meetings should occur with all councillors present, but I want to proceed with the maximum amount of consensus to reflect the maximum level of efficiency and in particular of sensitivity to those who serve in constituencies such as my hon friend’s, where the rurality and dispersed nature of representation are important.”
Afterwards, Dr Hudson said: “It was great to see the Secretary of State agree with me that parish councils need the flexibility to work remotely if needs be.
“The pandemic has been challenging in many different ways but it did show that local government can function with a hybrid format. Democracy is for all and we should continue to utilise modern technology to ensure participation is as wide as possible.”
Sonia Hutchinson, chief officer of Cumbria Association of Local Councils, said: “CALC and parish councils in Cumbria have been lobbying for local councils to be given the opportunity to meet virtually and this favourable response from the Secretary of State is excellent news.
“CALC appreciates Dr Neil Hudson raising this matter and look forward to seeing the necessary changes to legislation, to enable virtual or hybrid parish council meetings to take place, being progressed.”
